The First Silent Night: The Christmas Carol That United the World
Overview
Renowned actor Simon Callow traces the 200-year history of Silent Night, traveling to Oberndorf and Salzburg to uncover the carol’s humble beginnings. The film follows the lives of Joseph Mohr and Franz Gruber, two impoverished Austrian children whose paths converged in a small church, where Gruber’s melody joined Mohr’s lyrics to create the world’s most beloved carol. Born from hardship and hope after the Napoleonic wars, Silent Night transformed a quiet night’s story into a universal message of peace.
Director
Peter Beveridge
Cast
Simon Callow
Self - Host - Narrator
Werner Thuswaldner
Self - Historian and author
Martin Hochleitner
Self - Historian and curator of the Salzburg Museum
Renate Ebeling-Winkler
Self - Vice President of the Silent Night Society
Max Gurtner
Self - Curator of the Stille Nacht Museum
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